A couple hugs while standing near a Christmas tree made out of plastic bins and plastic hampers outside the Museum of History in Monterrey, Mexico, December 4, 2015. The humble Christmas tree has a rich history, from evergreen trees used to symbolise eternal life in Ancient Egypt to tree worship among pagan Europeans. The modern version has its origins in Germany, where the song “O Tannenbaum” is still a festive favourite. Today the traditional tree with lights and decorations appears in cities including Washington, Moscow and Beirut. Alternative constructions range from recycled rubbish in Mexico City to old window frames in Rakvere, Estonia. Whatever the shape or size, the message is the same: Merry Christmas. (Photo by Neil Hall/Reuters)

Youths cover their faces with plastic bags while pushing a handcart during rainfall in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, July 12, 2020. (Photo by Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo)

A member of Korean Federation for Environmental Movement in a Santa Claus outfit attaches dumped cigarette butts at a cigarette butt Christmas tree in front of Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation office in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, December 23, 2019. The environmental activist group called for a ban on the use of plastic for cigarette filters as part of efforts to protect the environment from toxic plastic pollution. (Photo by Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo)

Jeepney passengers are seated in between plastic barriers, wearing face masks and face shields mandatory in public transportation, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, August 19, 2020. (Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

An Egyptian street vendor carries plastic dishes on a street decorated for the holy month of Ramadan in old Cairo, Egypt June 1, 2016. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

A shoe and a plastic halloween pumpkin are pictured at the scene where a stampede during Halloween festivities killed and injured many people at the popular Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea on October 30, 2022. (Photo by Yonhap via Reuters)

A woman wearing a raincoat collects a plastic bag near a beach as Typhoon Bualoi nears, in Nghe An province, Vietnam, on September 28, 2025. (Photo by Thinh Nguyen/Reuters)

Brazen seagulls, pigeons and starlings bask in the afternoon sun undeterred by a plastic Owl bird scarer on the roof of Liverpool Coastguard Station at Crosby on January 13, 2012 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)